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Mind Gains

Kara Goucher always had huge talent, but she also had crises of confidence that sabotaged her big races. Goucher's admissions about her psychological struggles are rare for an elite athlete, but they will ring true to all of us.

"Athletes sometimes think anxiety has a protective value, that it motivates them to avert disaster," says Gloria Balague, a sports psychologist at the University of Illinois. "But you want to prepare for adversity well in advance. Identify your worries and train to overcome them. As you get closer to race day, focus on your strengths and the body of your training work."

2 Employ a key word

Chanting "win, win, win," over 26.2 miles won't do it. "The concept is one of stimulus and response," says Nike Oregon Project sports psychologist Darren Treasure. Treasure's athletes focus on a key word during intense training moments. "Then when they get to a critical moment in a race, they can invoke that word and get the response they're looking for."

3 Embrace your competitors

Sports psychologist Jerry Lynch uses the term "competitor," not "opponent," to think about running with others, not against them. "When the toughest competitors show up for a race, I'm thrilled," says Lynch. "It means I'm going to run together with the best, and they'll help bring out the best in me. That neutralizes my anxiety about my own confidence."

4 Enjoy the motion

Athletic movement provides pleasure. Enjoy it. "Get in touch with your body," says Balague. "Notice how nice the motion feels when it's all in sync—arms, legs, back, posture. The idea is to relax, not tense up, and if you're in touch with the positive feeling, you're much less likely to be tight."

5 Define success by your progress

"My goal for every athlete is to help them get one day better every day," says mental trainer Jeff Troesch. "I want them to measure their success in terms of their personal progress. If I can do a couple more reps than I could yesterday, that's success. I look for ways to get the athlete into the now, to strive for day-to-day victories." –B.B.